TfL describes their designs as "sculptural" which "respond" to Dalston. We describe them as bland, overscale, undistinguished and which create a ‘sense of anyplace’and of ‘out of place’ - NOT a sense of Dalston

Some Basic Facts:

- The two sites, northern and southern, front Kingsland High Street in Dalston above TfLs Western Curve rail link from Dalston to Canonbury.
- All of TfL's public land will be privatised by enclosure within the sites, with no open or green space accessible there to the public- . Dalston is one of the most densely populated wards, and one of the most deficient in green space, in London.
- Of 106 'units' to be built on the two sites there will only be 9 flats for social rent. There are some 9,000 overcrowded families with children living in Hackney.
- The developers are trying to maximise their returns by overscale buildings - at the permanent expense of our local environment. The buildings exceed the heights prescribed by the government approved Dalston Area Action Plan. The new blocks will loom over the surrounding buildings.
- TfL will be providing no play space for children living in the new development or locally.
- TfL's own consultant's report states that the design of the northern block is such that overshadowing will be "Substantially Adverse" for listed and locally listed buildings.
- The southern block will enclose Ashwin Street and conceal views of the recently restored Reeves and Son building and the Shiloh Church.
- Ashwin Street will become a "shared space" for pedestrians and HGV delivery vehicles ( to do three point turns). The pavement cafe will be overshadowed.
- Hackney has contributed over £1million to strenthen the tunnels to support taller buildings. Hackney and TfL have both ignored OPEN's Freedom of Information requests for details of their deal.

Don't quite agree with the 'gated community' argument, but the development sure is ugly as sin. The architects were clearly not inspired by buildings like the Railway Tavern (which, incidentally, needs saving itself as it is slowly crumbling away...)

TfL's development will enclose public land entirely within a development of almost exclusively unaffordable flats from which the public are excluded and it will make no provision for any publiic green or open space amenities at all."Gated community" has no strict definiton but seems fitting in this case. The developers seem to have taken their inspiration only from Mammon.

Planning alerts!

OPEN Dalston is a forum of local people who live or work in Dalston. OPEN Dalston campaigns for excellence in the quality of the built environment and public realm, the provision of transportation and amenities, and to ensure that changes to these have proper regard to the needs of local residents and businesses and the maintenance of a sustainable residential and business community. For more information please email info@opendalston.net
Some members of OPEN Dalston are also members, and some are Directors, of the not-for-profit company OPEN (Organisation for Promotion of Environmental Needs Ltd) – www.openuk.net